Health officials have confirmed they are preparing Covid-19 samples to test for newly emerged variants of the virus as Britain took its own precautions against new strains.

Britain’s autumn vaccination programmes against Covid-19 and influenza had been brought forward to counter the emergence of an Omicron spin-off called BA.2.86, Reuters reported last Wednesday.

The report said the variant was not of concern to the UK Government but that its high rate of mutation could give the virus a better edge at ducking the immune defences of people who had been vaccinated or previously infected.

Bermuda’s health ministry told The Royal Gazette that genetic sequencing remained available with tests scheduled to go ahead.

“We will be closely monitoring the results of the sequencing and global trends associated with BA.2.86 to determine any local public health action.”

Covid-19 case numbers are no longer regularly reported in Bermuda. Updated figures stopped at the end of March.

Much of the island’s testing is carried out at home, complicating the ministry’s ability to assess actual levels of Covid-19.

The island’s last noticeable spike in cases was reported in June with a surge of infections and several outbreaks in long-term care facilities, schools and childcare facilities.

The ministry said that “if and when” fresh outbreaks were identified, the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit provided “guidance and consultation to the outbreak site to monitor and control the outbreak”.

“The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit will not identify any outbreak sites unless there is a risk to the general public.”

No figures or observations were available for Bermuda’s levels of Covid-19.

But the surveillance unit reported on Wednesday that it was seeing “increased reports of fever and respiratory symptoms” on the island.

However, the category covers a broad range of infections as well as Covid-19.

The latest variant was first spotted in Denmark on July 24 and has been unofficially nicknamed “Pirola”, combining the Greek letters Pi and Rho.

Medical authorities have highlighted the worldwide build-up across the population of immune defences from vaccination and previous infection.

The new Omicron variant appeared in the US in August.

Canada announced on Tuesday that its first confirmed BA.2.86 case had been found in British Columbia in someone who had not travelled outside the province.

Britain has opted to roll out its annual vaccinations for older and at-risk groups a few weeks earlier than planned, with antiviral shots going to care home residents and those deemed at highest risk from September 11.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention gave a risk assessment for the variant on August 23.

The agency stated that BA.2.86 “may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had Covid-19 or who have received Covid-19 vaccines”.

“Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the forthcoming, updated Covid-19 vaccine.

“CDC’s current assessment is that this updated vaccine will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalisation.

“At this point, there is no evidence that this variant is causing more severe illness.

“That assessment may change as additional scientific data are developed.”